China has successfully landed its spacecraft on the far side of the moon, making it the first country in history to land on the lunar surface that faces away from Earth, according to the state news media.

The official China Central Television confirmed lunar explorer Chang'e-4 landed on the moon at 10:26 a.m.

The professor at Macau University of Science and Technology Zhu Menghua said the mission’s success is a major milestone for the country and establishes it as a pioneer in space exploration

"We Chinese people have done something that the Americans have not dared try," he said, according to The New York Times.

China recently announced they would launch an artificial moon into space by 2020

China recently announced they would launch an artificial moon into space in an attempt to illuminate one of the country's largest cities by the year 2020.

According to Officials in Chengdu, a city with a population of 14 million people in China's southwestern province of Sichuan, they place a satellite in orbit by 2020 proficient enough to reflect sunlight onto the city streets and replacing street lights.

The fake moon will apply a reflective coating which will direct light to brighten an area on earth of up to 50 square miles; Wu Chunfeng claims - chairman of the city’s Aerospace Science and Technology Microelectronics System Research Institute.